THE PRICE

Sep 15

3 min read

2 Timothy 3:12 says “Everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution”. The price.

Definition of persecution:

Being treated cruelly, unfairly and even violently for a long period of time due to your belief, which in this case, is believing in Christ Jesus.

Many Christians have come to see their walk with Christ as transactional, as though Christianity is primarily about what they can gain from God or what God can protect them from. Christianity then becomes a means of escaping suffering rather than a life of becoming like Christ. This is why someone may ask, “How can I be a Christian and still face persecution?” But the answer may actually be: you are facing persecution because you are a Christian. When we read Scripture, we see that Jesus Himself suffered. He was rejected, mocked, falsely accused, hated and crucified. So if we say that we want to follow Christ, walk with Christ and become like Christ, why would we expect to follow a completely different path from the One we are following?

Think about someone who wants to become a nurse. You cannot say, “I want to be a nurse, but I don’t want to go through what nurses have to go through to become one.” There is a process. You wake up early for placement. Sometimes you have great mentors; sometimes you don’t. Sometimes the work feels tedious and exhausting. Yet you understand that these experiences are part of the journey towards becoming what you said you wanted to become. So why do we treat Christianity differently? We say, “I want to be like Christ,” but then reject the very path Christ walked. Jesus said, “If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also” (John 15:20). Paul goes even further in Philippians 3:10, speaking not only about knowing Christ and the power of His resurrection, but also participating in His sufferings. Being a Christian exposes you to persecution. People don’t want to hear about the Jesus you serve or why you believe in Him. It’s all an unending battle for their minds. So the best way for them to deal with it is to persecute you. And you need to be aware of this.

1 Peter 4:12-19 says it best. It says “Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. Instead, be very glad, for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world. If you are insulted because you bear the name of Christ, you will be blessed, for the glorious Spirit of God rests upon you. If you suffer, however, it must not be for murder, stealing, making trouble, or prying into other people’s affairs. But it is no shame to suffer for being a Christian. Praise God for the privilege of being called by his name! For the time has come for judgment, and it must begin with God’s household. And if judgment begins with us, what terrible fate awaits those who have never obeyed God’s Good News? And also, “If the righteous are barely saved, what will happen to godless sinners?” So if you are suffering in a manner that pleases God, keep on doing what is right, and trust your life to the God who created you, for he will never fail you.” Keep going! It doesn’t sound as easy as you expect but keep going. “For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Jesus suffered for you”. That’s Peter speaking in 1 Peter 2:21.

So as we walk through life with Christ and in Christ, let us look ahead and remember that “God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs". And God also remember, “God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are His followers.” (Matthew‬ ‭5‬:‭10-11‬ ‭NLT‬‬). May the Lord be with you always!